Pathanamthitta: In a poignant ceremony held 56 years after his tragic death, Malayali soldier Thomas Cherian was finally laid to rest with full military honours in his hometown of Elanthoor, Pathanamthitta district. Cherian, who was just 22 years old, lost his life in a plane crash in Ladakh on February 7, 1968. However, due to the crash’s location in the frozen heights of the Himalayas, recovering his body at the time was impossible with the technology available.
The aircraft, which had taken off from Chandigarh for Leh, Ladakh, crashed mid-air, and the hope of finding the remains of the brave soldier slowly faded over time. Cherian’s family, including his parents and siblings, eventually gave up the hope of giving him a proper burial. However, after more than five decades, Indian Army personnel recovered his body, offering a long-awaited closure to his surviving family members, including his younger sister, the only remaining sibling.
On Wednesday, Cherian’s body was flown to Thiruvananthapuram aboard an Air Force aircraft. The body was received by Union Minister and BJP leader Suresh Gopi, before being taken to the military camp in Pangode, where it was kept in the mortuary. By the morning of October 3, the body was transported in a military convoy to Cherian’s ancestral home in Elanthoor, where it was laid out for public viewing. Thousands of people gathered to pay their last respects to the fallen soldier, many of whom had never seen him in life.
Later, a funeral cortege made its way from Cherian’s home to St. Peter’s Church in Elanthoor Karoor, where his body was again laid for public tributes. The entire village turned out to honour their local hero, and even though many had not known him personally, the collective grief and admiration for his sacrifice were palpable. People across age groups, including those below 50 who had no memory of him, offered floral tributes in his honour.
Thomas Cherian was a draftsman in the Indian Army and died in service to his country. His funeral was held with full military honours at St. Peter’s Church, with soldiers paying their respects in traditional military style. Kerala’s Health Minister Veena George attended the funeral and paid tribute on behalf of the Government of Kerala.
